by Roxana Isaacs, René Cassin Youth Ambassador 2023
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family”
(Article 25, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948)
Food insecurity has impeded upon the health, stability, and general wellbeing of over 17% of households in the UK. Whilst food banks are seeking to alleviate this, many are struggling to reflect the diversity which exists within these groups, unable to provide a varied supply of foods that can cater to the distinctive preferences and requirements of these groups. Crucially, food can be a source of comfort and a channel through which identity can be preserved and celebrated. Food banks must therefore be facilitated in providing access to the other elements of food beyond sustenance through a conscious and active effort.
Within this resource, are “ingredient” lists which provide examples of food donations that would be culturally relevant for three religious groups: the Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu communities. Context is also supplied to explain the significance of food within these cultures. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of all the cultural groups that would benefit deeply from culturally appropriate donations. The hope here is that the core issue is understood and that donations are pushed in the right direction to reflect not only the necessity for nourishment but also a feeling of familiarity, cultural pride, and a vital sense of dignity.
Today, 10th December, is International Human Rights Day – the 76th anniversary of the signing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
The Declaration was a reaction to the horrors of the Holocaust. So, for Jews, today has a particuar significance.
Although rooted in response to atrocity, the Declaration was forward-looking and optimistic. It spoke for the majority of people who knew a better world was possible. The fact that it’s co-author , the French-Jewish lawyer Monsieur Rene Cassin, could draft such a hopeful document so soon after 26 members of his family were murdered by the Nazis is a testament to his humanity and the power of human rights in general.
Today, as the organisation that works in Cassin’s name, we are determined to ensure his Declaration’s vision of human rights for all is fully realised. Central to that work is a focus on so called ‘socio-economic rights’ – rights to everyday essentials like food, housing and health. This vision was best articulated in Article 25 of the Declaration:
‘Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control’.
Bolstering these rights would ensure everybody has access to the foundations on which to build a dignified, prosperous and meaningful life. They have been neglected for too long.
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